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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22904275">I Wouldn't Hesitate At All</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoubleL27/pseuds/DoubleL27'>DoubleL27</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Schitt's Creek</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coda, Episode 6.08, Everything is Fine here, F/M, Fix-It, Future Fic, Post-Canon, Presidential Suite</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:27:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,049</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22904275</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoubleL27/pseuds/DoubleL27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alexis is an actual Buzzfeed Girl Boss in LA when a familiar face shows up at her door.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Theodore "Ted" Mullens/Alexis Rose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>207</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Season 6 Fix It Fics</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I Wouldn't Hesitate At All</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I began writing this fic when the episode summaries for 6.08 and 6.09 came out. It's working title was In case of Emergency, Break Glass. So... here you go</p><p>The title is from Mariah Carey's "Whenever You Call" which came on my playlist when I went to pick up my spouse after watching this episode, so... yes. </p><p>Unbetaed, and revised mostly by me in my emotional state.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The rapid tapping of a pencil against the leather folio on the desk was the only thing keeping her from going insane. Alexis stared down at the gold embossed ARC in the corner. It was the best present that her father had ever bought her. He’d made the R slightly bigger and fancier than the A and the C, making it both a monogram of her name and the actual acronym for her company. He really was the sweetest guy. The guy droning on the other end of the phone was another story entirely; she’d listened to enough of Brad Garrett’s awful jokes to never deserve to be this bored again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look, Susan</span>
  <em>
    <span> Lucci </span>
  </em>
  <span>has her goddamn </span>
  <em>
    <span>Emmy </span>
  </em>
  <span>and you will </span>
  <em>
    <span>give </span>
  </em>
  <span>her a place of </span>
  <em>
    <span>honor</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I am not kidding around here. She doesn’t <em>have</em> to <em>come</em>.” Alexis waited for the magic words and grinned as the confirmation to seat one Ms. Susan Lucci up at the front of the Daytime Emmys came through. “Thank you!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexis hung up, twitching her nose with the victory. Susan would be pleased, although she’d have to arrange just as nice a seat for her mother or she would never hear the end of it. That would wait for tomorrow, though.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>Alexis felt her phone buzz and swiped to see the text. </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Big party at Chris’s. Roll through.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Helmsworth parties were always a good time and Liam was single again. It could be fun. It would probably be fun. She should go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>L.A. was warm and wonderful and her beach curls were back and everything. Like her skin had returned to a non-artificial glow, but somehow, even after three years, Alexis was still finding her place. She’d been in Schitt’s Creek for so long and had outgrown all her old friends and old haunts. Now, the trick was finding out who new Alexis’s friends were and what new Alexis liked. Or what the real Alexis had liked all along. She wanted Twyla to be here to do hair and makeup and go out, or Stevie to poke and prod into moving out of her boring comfort zone. She would even settle for bothering David and Patrick in person instead of over the phone. It was better, now, but finding people she loved deeply wasn't easy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to go. Alexis Rose was not the kind of girl who put on her pajamas at ten o’clock at night and went to bed. Except that she kind of was these days.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But she should</span>
  <em>
    <span> totally </span>
  </em>
  <span>go.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexis almost jumped out of her skin and bit through her lip that she hadn’t realized she was chewing on when the buzzer to her apartment sounded. Aleixs quickly went through all of her texts looking for any clue of who might be standing on her doorstep. There was nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Ugh. The last thing she needed tonight was Zack Effron hoping for a quickie.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexis hopped out of her chair and strode through the apartment to her little entry unit sat. She pressed the call button and asked, “Umm, who’s there?” before pressing the listen button.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence stretched through the apartment, broken only by the tinny crackle of the speaker until a deep voice said, “Uh, hey Alexis.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexis knew that voice, would know it anywhere.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my</span>
  <em>
    <span> god</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Ted!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I—can I come in?” he stammered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexis pressed talk and the buzzer at the same time. “Ohmygod! Yes—yes.” She called, holding on to the door buzzer. “Yes.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>Her hands slid off the button and Alexis began straightening out her clothes, which still looked fabulous, if she did say so herself, and fluffing at her curls. “Okay. Okay, okay, okay. You can do this,” she reminded herself. “You are one of</span><em><span> Buzzfeed’s</span></em><span> top </span><em><span>Girl</span></em> <em><span>Bosses</span></em><span>. You can handle</span><em><span> seeing Ted</span></em><span>.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A solid knock sounded on the door and then began tapping faster, and suddenly Alexis was back in the motel room the last time Ted had come home. Three years and she was still just as excited that he was on the other side of the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ted…” Alexis trailed off as she opened the door to find Ted Mullens standing on the other side. Ughhh! He looked so good. He still had that stupid beard that was actually incredibly hot. God she fucking loved a beard. He was tan and wonderful and this time she didn’t throw herself into his arms, even though she was tempted. “You’re here. In LA.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” The smile he gave her was shy and his hand came up to scrub at the back of his neck.  “I thought I would, you know, stop by while I was in town.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Oh! Cool." Alexis's hands began to move at rapid speed and she could feel her eye start to twitch. "Cool, cool, cool. Umm," Alexis forced a breath out and tossed her hair over her shoulder, actually attempting cool, "what brought you to town?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ted looked at his shoes and drawled out a long, “Uh…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mmm.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She shouldn’t have asked. He’d probably found like a totally hottie science lady to be with and they were in L.A. for like science or she lived here and <em>god</em>. “You don’t have to say any—” Alexis forced herself to look at Ted, and his stupid handsome face. “It’s really nice to see you, Ted.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually, I really ought to be honest.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mmm. Mmhmm.” Alexis gave a slow blink and wanted to sink into the floor as she flipped at her hair. “Honesty is good.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Honesty had broken Alexis’s heart twice: once when she broke Ted’s heart and again when they agreed that they couldn’t move for each other. Three if you counted the week she told Ted she loved him and he didn’t say anything back. What was a fourth in the grand scheme of things?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a piece of paper.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Read it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay?” she agreed, but her voice went up in a question. He didn’t help her any more than give her a hurry up type motion with his hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexis used carefully manicured fingers to flip open the paper and was confronted with a very legal looking document. She scanned it slowly but the bold words at the top kept pulling her attention. One word stood out particularly loud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Umm...Ted?” Alexis asked, still trying to make sense of the words. “Is this a...this is a deed? Like to a property?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexis glanced up and found Ted looking at her, blue eyes wide, and a sheepish smile behind the very sexy beard. “In LA?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexis blinked once, twice, three times. “Ted, why do you have a deed to a piece of property in LA?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, I...uh...this may have been a really stupid thing to do, Alexis, but ummm, I bought a vet practice?” Ted asked, rather than told her. Alexis stared at him wide eyed as he launched into one of his rambles, “I met the guy at a conference several years ago and he was retiring so I reached out—”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexis interrupted, “I don’t—I don’t…” The word understand died on her tongue as she stared at Ted. He’d bought a vet practice, in LA.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thing is, Alexis, I can work just about anywhere. And I...I went back to Schitt’s Creek and it’s not...You weren’t there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” she said quietly. “I’m here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ted laughed and there was no sting in it. His laugh was warm and wonderful, just like the L.A. sun. “You know, until you came into my life, I hadn’t gone much further than Vet Conferences in Chicago and Detroit. I lived most of my life in Schitt’s Creek and I always figured I would settle down with someone there, but I really learned how to be a little more adventurous since I met you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexis thought of the motorcycle and kissing David, which she could have lived without, and the Galapagos. It was not hard to beam at him. “I know. I’m so proud of you, Ted.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And uh, I’m going to be here in L.A., no matter what, but I need you to know that I love you.” Ted’s eyes went watery and Alexis’s knees began to feel like jelly in response. She forced herself to lock them, because she is not the swooning type, not like her mother in that way. Ted’s adam’s apple bobbed confuslively.  “I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>in love</span>
  </em>
  <span> with you. It’s been three years and no woman has ever come close to making me feel what I feel for you. I wasn’t wrong.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” was the only word Alexis could force between her lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you don’t have to say it back, or want to get back together with me. You have a whole life here in L.A., and I’m so happy for you,” Ted continued, tears falling down his face despite the huge smile. “And all the things you’ve accomplished, but I just would never forgive myself if I didn’t tell you the truth.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just like that, Alexis was back in Ted’s back room at the clinic, staring at him after she poured heart out at his feet. Instead of the usual smell of her carefully curated incense from David, everything smelled like disinfectant. The air around her was just as thick and heavy and Alexis was frozen in place.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I, uh, I didn’t want to take up your whole night,” Ted said to her, but Alexis felt like everything was still miles away. “I’ll just take the paper.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexis didn’t let go of the deed, though, she couldn’t. Instead, she stared at both of their hands on either side of the deed to the vet clinic that Ted bought so he could move to L.A. because she was here. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, everything sped up and the words, “I love you, too,” tumbled from her mouth like they were always meant to.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alexis.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need a week, or a month or anything to tell you. I...I’ve </span>
  <em>
    <span>missed </span>
  </em>
  <span>you,” she said, her voice breaking traitorously on the word missed. Tears welled in her own eyes and Alexis blinked furiously to try to keep them from falling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Alexis</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Ted said again, louder, happier. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you’re not interrupting my night. I...I can make popcorn now,” she told him, still rather proud that she doesn’t burn it beyond recognition anymore. “You could tell me all about the Galapagos, and I could tell you about L.A. and...You’re here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>LIke magnets, their arms came around each other and Alexis sank into Ted’s embrace. Kissing Ted was like actually coming home. She didn’t need him but, fuck, she’d keep him. When he pulled back, a giggle escaped her lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Or,” Alexis breathed, brushing her fingers over Ted’s lips before losing them in his beard, “or, better idea, we could go </span>
  <em>
    <span>talk</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Alexis gave a shimmy, rubbing her body against his.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ted laughed again and Alexis let the feeling of joy seep deep into her bones. “I think we should actually talk, Alexis.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you?” she asked, pressing quick kisses against Ted’s lips, letting his beard brush against her skin. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Do you</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alexis!” Ted laughed against her lips.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexis slid her hands down Ted’s back to cup his ass which was even firmer than she’d remembered. Ugh. God, he was amazing. Alexis gave it two quick squeezes, kissing him to punctuate each one. “Ted,” she moaned back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Why don’t you give me a </span>
  <em>
    <span>tour</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Ted asked awkwardly, giving her the awful headbobble he always used to when she tried to role play with him. Having Ted try to start a role play was the absolute cutest and if Alexis had ever fallen out of love with Ted, that would have sealed it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexis threw him two winks in rapid succession and a shimmy. Her voice was breathy as she played off of him. “I thought you’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> ask,</span>
  <em>
    <span> Mr. Mullens</span>
  </em>
  <span>. We’ll start in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>bedroom</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Ted agreed, “I’m sure it can only get</span>
  <b> bed</b>
  <span>-ter in there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexis stilled at the first pun Ted had uttered since he stepped inside her place. Laughter bubbled out of her like butterflies. Alexis threw her head back before taking Ted’s hand to lead him through to her bedroom. Everything would get better, indeed.</span>
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